Drag-rake.



No. 715,344. 7 Patented Dec. 9, 1902.

a. BORMANN.

DRAG RAKE.

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No. 715,344. Patented Dec. 9. I902.

H. BDRMANN. v

one RAKE.

K Application filed Feb. 8, 19b2,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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HENRY BOBMANN, OF BREMEN, KANSAS.

DRAG- RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,344, dated December 9, 1902.

Application filed February 8, 1902- Serial No. 93,208. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BORMANN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Bremen, in the county of Marshall and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drag-Rakes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to drag-rakes, and has for its objects the production of new and improved devices for raising and lowering the teeth of the rake, both at the rear and at their front ends, whereby the inclination, as well as the height above the surface of the ground of the plane in-which the axes of the teeth lie, may be altered to conform to varying conditions.

Each constituent element of my invention is described in detail and its individual office, together with the mode of operation of the whole, fully explained hereinbelow.

I accomplish the objects stated by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side view showing the teeth raised front and rear; and Fig. 2 is a side view taken from the opposite side, showing the teeth lowered both front and rear. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear axle detached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification of my invention arranged to be loaded with bundles of hay, and Fig. 5 is aperspective view of an auxiliary clampboard shown under side up to hold the teeth and to act as a wagon-bed when bundles of hay are to be transported.

Likenumbers designate like parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numerals 1 and 2 mark the front wheels, and the front axle is referred to by number 3. Upon the front axle is secured the cross-frame or bolster 4t, and on the bolster is erected the spring-seat 5 of any chosen construction. Projecting from the bolster are the two bracket-bearings 6 and 7, and revoluble in these hearings is the shaft or roller 8. The shaft is revolved by means of the crank 9, which turns directly The pinion 10, suitably mounted in the standard 11, which is fixed on the bolster in any convenient manner. The pinion meshes with the gear 12, secured to the shaft, which is thus turned by the gear. Number 13 marks a ratchet-wheel upon the gear-shaft 14. and a pawl 15 engages the ratchet. Screw 16, by which the pawl is pivotally supported, is pro vided with a thumb-nut 17, that may be made tight against the pawl, thus preventing the ratchet-wheel, and consequentlythe roller 8, from turning in either direction. These elements will be again referred to.

The teeth 18 are all joined together by the cross-pieces 19 and move up or down as one thing. At the rear a frame or end-gate 20is erected upon the teeth to prevent the hay slipping off behind. Two side bars (designated by numbers 21 and 22) extend from the rear frame to the bolster in front, one side bar being placed on each side of the apparatus. I usually add for the purpose of making the side-bar connections as stiff as practicable two braces, (marked 23 and 23.) The side bars are secured upon the top of the bolster, and the braces 23 and 23 extend downwardly from the side bars to the lower portion of the bolster, as shown. Both the side bars and the two braces are removable.

Fig. 3 represents the rear axle 29. It will be observed that the journals 25 and 26, upon which the rear wheels 27 and 28 turn, are not direct connections of the axle 29 and c0ncontrio with the axle, but are offset and project from the lower parts of the lifting or lever plates 30 and 31, to which the ends of the axle are secured. It is within the scope of my invention to fashion the axle 29, together with the lifting-plates and journals,all of one piece, if desired. The axle 29 turns in bearings 32 and 33, fixed to cross-pieces 19. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The tops of the lifting-plates (marked 30 and 31 are curved rearwardly, and the cords 34: and 35 pass over these curved tops and are fastened lower upon the rear surfaces of the blocks, as shown. At their forward ends the cords are secured to the roller-shaft 8, and if this shaft is turned the cords being drawn upon will elevate the plates 30 and 31 into the position shown for one of them in Fig. 1, at the same time raising the rear axle 29, and consequently the rear of the teeth together into their raised plane. The liftingplates during this operation act as levers, the journals of the wheels being the fulcrums. Reversing the operation lowers the teeth into position so far as their rear ends are concerned to rake from the field. The front ends of the teeth are raised by means of the vertical cords 36, hooks 37, and eyes 38, the lastnumbered elements being sunk near the ends of the teeth 18, as illustrated, or in some equally effective manner in order that they may not offer any obstacle to the raking up of the hay upon the teeth. Thus it will be understood that when the roller 8 is turned the two ends of the teeth are raised simultaneously. The ratchet-wheel l3 and pawl 15 prevent the falling of the teeth front and rear after the cords have been Wound upon the roller 8. If it be desired to give the teeth a certain incline, this may be arranged for by unhooking the cords 36 and permitting the ends of the teeth to drop and then raising the rear of the teeth by means of the lifting-plates to any desired elevation. The ratchet-wheel 13 and its engaged pawl 15 will preserve this position.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the rake is in position for gathering hay. It is necessary, however, that all the cords 36 should be unhooked from the ends of the teeth and thrown upward over the front parts of the frame to be out of the way. When sufficient hay has been gathered to make a desired load, the cords 36 may be again hooked to the teeth and the ends of the teeth raised to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood that the rear axle will also be raised by the same operation and mechanism that lifts the teeth. Hay transported to the stack by the rake in the form of Fig. 1 must be forked off the teeth in the ordinary way.

In dragging hay to stack in the field the two side bars 21 and 22 are detached from the rear frame 20 and, together with the bolster 4, front wheels 1 and 2, and their axle 3, as well as the roller 8 and the cords attached to the lifting-plates, are removed, and ropes 39 (see Fig. 3) are fastened to hooks 40 on the rear frame 20, from which the side bars were taken, and singletrees or doubletrees 41 attached to the forward ends of the ropes 39.

When the rake is filled and dragged to the stack, the ropes are turned about so that the horses may drag the rake backwardly and pull the teeth out from beneath the load of hay. In thus dragging hay to stack in the field it is desired that the rear of the teeth should not rest upon the ground, and I provide hooks 42, but one being shown, on the outside teeth to engage eyes 43 on the liftingblocks of the rear axle to hold the end frame and teeth slightly above the surface of the earth.

When the cords 34 and 35 are wound upon roller 8, and therefore draw upon and against the curved tops of the lifting-plates, it is necessary that some means be introduced to prevent the tops of the lifting-plates from being drawn too far toward the front. I accomplish this by cutting in the diagonals 44, one of which is located on each side of the end frame 20, the notches 45, and as the tops of the lifting-plates reach their highest points they engage the notches and cannot be drawn farther forward.

Considering Fig. 4 it will be noted that in addition to the crank 9, pinion 10, gear 12, and ratchet-wheel 13 there is a sprocket-Wheel 46 secured upon the roller 8 near the gearwheel and that a chain 47 meshes with the sprocket, the ends of the chain being fastened to the ends of the cord 34, which in this form of my invention passes around the rear of the lifting-plate, as shown. It is also my practice ordinarily to provide a second sprocket at the other end of roller 8 and a second chain, to which cord 35 may be fastened. The second sprocket is precisely the same as that described in construction and operation. These parts are marked 46 and 47.

To carry hay in bundles or in bulk, I employ a modification of my invention. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) A cross-piece 48 is bored at several points, making a series of holes equal in number to the teeth and through which the hooks 37 may be passed. The cross-piece 48 rests closely against the points of the teeth, and from its middle point there arises the connecting-bar 49, that passes through the guides 50 and 51 on the rear surface of bolster 4 like a bolt and is held therein by the thumb-screws 52 and 53 or bya series of vertically-disposed ratchet-teeth 54, acting with a pivoted pawl 55. By this construction the teeth are held level, and I further support and strengthen them in this position by introducing the auxiliary cross-pieces 56. These auxiliary cross-pieces are removable and can be easily secured to the teeth by means of the turn-buttons 57, any number of which may be used. Ordinarily two buttons 57, one at each end of the piece 56, answers all purposes. As these auxiliary cross-pieces 56 are fiat boards when several are employed together, all secured to the teeth, as explained, they form practically a wagon-bed upon which hay or other merchandise maybe carried. It will be understood, further, that the cross-piece 4S and its attached connecting-bar 49 may re main in position upon the bolster4when the front wheels and other parts forward are removed to prepare the rake for dragging hay on the ground.

I am aware that drag-rakes have been constructed having means for raising and lower ing the teeth and for inclining them,and I do not claim those means broadly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a drag-rake, the combination of the rear axle, the teeth having their rear ends borne by the axle, lifting-plates fixed at the ends of the said axle, journals projecting from too IIO

the lifting-plates below the junctions of the plates with the axle, and mechanism for raising and lowering the said lifting-plates and axle and the points of the teeth simultaneously, substantially as described.

2. In a drag-rake, the combination of a rear axle, lifting-plates fixed in corresponding positions at the ends of the said axle, journals projecting outwardly from the lower portions of the lifting-plates, rear wheels revoluble upon the said journals, afront axle and front Wheels, a bolster fixed upon the said front axle, a series of teeth supported by the said rear axle, a rear frame connected with the teeth, removable attachments connected with the said bolster and adapted to couple the said parts carried by the front wheels with the said parts carried by the rear wheels, and I mechanism constructed and arranged to raise and lower the said liftingplates and the points of the teeth, substantially as described.

3. In a drag-rake, the eombinationof the rear axle, the teeth having their rear ends borne by the axle, the lifting-plates fixed at the ends of the said axle, journals projecting from the lifting-plates below the junctions of the plates with the axle, a front axle and a bolster secured thereon, a roller rotatively supported on the bolster, means for rotating the roller and for securing it in different rotational positions, cords having one extremity secured to the said lifting-plates, the said cords being also attached to the roller and arranged to be wound up thereon thus raising the said lifting-plates and rear axle, vertical cords pendent from the roller and arranged to be wound thereon, hooks fastened to the vertical cords, and eyes provided at the ends of the teeth to engage the said hooks, substantially as described.

4. In a drag-rake, the combination of the rear axle, the teeth having their rear ends borne by the axle, lifting-plates fixed at the ends of the said axle, journals projecting from the lifting-plates below the junctions of the plates with the axle, mechanism for raising and lowering the said lifting-plates and axle and points of the teeth and for holding them and the rear ends of the teeth in predetermined positions, a front axle and a bolster secured thereon, a cross-piece arranged contiguous to the points of the teeth and having a connectingbar projecting from it, guides fixed upon the holster and adapted to receive the said connecting-bar, devices for securing the connecting-bar and bolster together, and auxiliary cross-pieces provided with turnbuttons constructed to engage the teeth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY BORMANN.

Witnesses:

FRED FRIEDRIOHS, ERNST HESTERMANN. 

